There are various situations where a user needs to manually enter data. Examples include installing an application program, entering of user settings, adding a hardware component to a computer system, or adding a network component to a telecommunications system. Often a user needs to perform repetitive sets of data input operations in a certain sequence to arrive at a desired outcome.
Wizards help users perform complex tasks by guiding the user in a step by step fashion. For example, wizards have been added to software applications to help users configure peripherals such as modems and printers. Such a wizard guides the user through each step, such as selecting installation options, selecting ports, installing necessary software drivers, creating necessary links to other applications, and setting any other necessary parameters.
Typically, the wizard attempts to guide the user as much as possible. For example, instead of forcing the user to type in a cryptic and hard to remember parameter, the wizard provides a list of potentially acceptable parameters. As another example, the wizard may only provide as options those parameters that do not conflict with other applications and/or devices. In such a way, the wizard guides the user through the otherwise difficult process.
Wizards thus provide an improved user interface that allows users with less technical sophistication to efficiently configure and use their computer. Unfortunately, the widespread adoption of wizards in software applications has been limited by the time and difficulty involved in creating them.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,307,925 shows the use of wizards in a PBX environment. Telecommunication equipment is connected to and controlled by a computer which executes software controlling the digital communication between the telecommunication equipment and the computer. Software in the form of a wizard also executes on the computer and acts to simplify the computer user's interaction with the telecommunication equipment and underlying software which controls the telecommunication equipment.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,307,544 shows a method for delivering a dynamic context sensitive integrated user assistance solution. Dynamic assistance is provided to a user of a computer system by means of a navigation model that integrates help information, task guide information, interactive wizard information into a single user assistance system. Code for the user assistance system is maintained separately from code for an application program for the computer system.
The present invention aims to provide an improved method of entering of data in a data processing system.